I have been having lucid dreams for many years now. I have tracked my development of lucid dreaming, over a period of some 20 years, from my early days of some 'dark dreams' to the present. The dreams I have now are far more complex, but highly entertaining. They have now developed into a dream-within-a-dream, Inception like. Although I found Inception to be very entertaining and addressed some of the aspects of dream control very well, I think there is much discussion to be had regarding certain aspects of the movie treatment. I am convinced that we can do far more in these dream-states than we realise. Infact I am pretty sure in my own mind that we may not be allowed (or actively prevented from discovering) deep truths aboutthe dream-state. I have been recording my dreams in some detail as a means of discovery. I am prepared to discuss my lucid dreams with others who have had equally perfound lucid dreams, and who can understand my deep convictions because of their own dream experience.

As a taste of the topics I would wish to discuss, in my dreams: I fly regularly, can recognise the various lucid dream symbols and cues, communicate with animals (generally dogs), but am regularly accompanied by many of the animals on the palnet (Bears, Lions, wolves, birds, foxes, rabbits, etc) apart from fish (for some reason I have not yet encountered fish in my dreams), walk through objects, fly through window glass (but can feel the tug of the net-curtain as I fly through the window), on some occassions a voice will tell me that I am dreaming if I am too dumb to recognise my dream-state.

If you have had similar experiences I would be pleased to have an in depth conversation. I look forward to an exchange of views.

Off to bed now (0916 in the UK) because I work nights as an Software and Electronics Test Engineer.

Just a little background on me and how I got started in lucid dreaming (I am new to this board and searching for answers)...

I have been lucid dreaming my whole life. It all started because of night terrors as a child. My mother suggested that I try to make my physical hand touch some part of my physical body when I wanted to wake up. I soon discovered that with a tremendous amount of willpower, I could do this, and it would wake me up in my body immediately. (I also used this technique to wake up from dream paralysis.) Later, I discovered I could just fly away at supersonic speeds from something that frightened me or that presented obstacles. Eventually, I learned that I could just blink out by focusing on something else.

Based on my experiences, I agree with you that there is some kind of control mechanism that limits what we can and cannot experience in a lucid dream state and even waking states. Like you, there are times I need to be 'told' I am dreaming. I suppose it is a guide who wants me to retain something consciously. I do interact with guides and have an awareness of what appears to be a kind of ongoing dialogue (as time is not a factor in the dream world), however I am not allowed to ever 'see' my guide's face - whoever it might be. (I believe we don't just have one guide; they switch from one phase of life to another, as we change and evolve.) I have been given great advice, inspiration, solutions and foreknowledge through dreams. But I'll be the first to admit I don't have much discipline in developing this gift. But, it isn't really about discipline, there are fear issues involved. Hopefully I'll find some answers on this board.

I was very interested in your involvement with animals in dreams. I have never had an animal accompany me in my dream, as you have, but I have interacted with them in my dreams and I have even been in their bodies. Last night, I had an extraordinary experience that I would like to share:

I was just dreaming, normally, when I was 'triggered' to become lucid. I heard a bark in the distance that sounded like my dog, Sophie. Then I saw a bouncy, fluffy black dog who looked a lot like Sophie but was much bigger than her. She was being held on a lead by a woman. I ran up to Sophie and she smelled and licked my hand in a way that is very particular to her, and it felt so incredibly real. I asked the women who had her on lead, "Is this really Sophie?" And she replied, "Yes, but outside her dreams she is not this big." I hugged Sophie and our hearts felt so completely connected. The woman then said Sophie had been looking for me desperately in her dream state, and she (this women) had guided her to me. I said, "Who are you?" She said, I am here to work with Sophie." Then, I shot awake--as I always do when I have an encounter which is important to remember in a conscious state (sometimes I am 'sent back' by force to think about things). So, I woke up with wonder and at the very same moment my dog Sophie woke up from her dream. She had been lying on the floor next to my bed. Then, she jumped up on my bed and licked and sniffed my hand just like she had in the dream. How touching! I knew that we had shared the same dream scape together and that she had a guide working with and through her. (Or so it appears.) I don't know what that woman's connection is to me or how she "works with Sophie" or what purpose it serves. I never had the chance to ask her more questions. I had the feeling she was cultivating Sophie.

Have you ever experienced anything like this with your pets or know anything about dream guides who work with pets?

If you (or anyone else who happens to read this) has any knowledge of this type of thing, please share it with me.

It is interesting that you mention night terrors as a child: fortunately I did not experience night terrors as a child, but I did experience some very dark dreams later in life (some 25 years ago).These consisted of fierce fights and struggles with flat (two-dimensional) bible-black human shaped figures with extraordinary strength. I have on many occasions in the past (several years ago) awoke up with sleep paralysis - without the ability to move my arms or open my eyes; but that rarely happens these days. I always fly in my lucid dreams and it is a highly pleasurable experience; the dreams are always profound and, I believe, have an important message that I struggle to interpret.

As far as guides are concerned you are quite correct in your analysis. My guide(s) have always been dogs. I was accompanied by dogs from my earliest dreams, although it took me some time realise the significance of the dogs: initially I regarded them as threatening, but was clearly an error of understanding. The connection with animals is quite fundamental, I believe. I have the opposite animal experience in that the animal often leaps into my body: I have experienced this with lions and bear like creatures. I have also received healing to my quadriceps from a pig and to the metacarpal bones in my hand from a guinea pig.

Your observation of Sophie in your dream is quite correct. You will find that a dog will appear much larger than in ‘reality’ (reality is a topic for discussion). In my dreams the size of the animal generally depends on the context: on some occasions a dog will be as tall as, or taller than me, they are always extremely powerful dogs – Alsatian, Rottweiler, Wolf-like, or Panther-like. I thoroughly enjoy the presence of animals in my dreams. Dogs are always present in my dreams, and I believe that this stems from an incident in my childhood. On occasions I am confronted with a very wild aggressive and threatening wolf/dog, but I know, and so do they, that, they cannot harm me, and I do not experience any fear.

It would appear that we have many dream experiences that we can share and analyse. For example, have you experienced any predictive dreams?

Perhaps we can get some deep discussions and analysis going, and encourage other profound dreamers to participate.